Automatic mail box signal



June 10, 1958 H. W. BARKDO LL AUTOMATIC MAIL BOX SIGNAL Filed April 2, 1957 rle 25 5'0 23 24 l N V EN TOR.

ATTD RN EYE United States Patent AUTOMATIC MAIL BOX SIGNAL 7 Howard w. Barkdoll, St. Paul, Minn.

Application April 2, 1957, Serial No. 650,136

1 Claim. Cl. 232-35 box signal which is actuated upon closing of a mail box door whereby a person will be able to readily observe from a distance or remote location whether or not mail has been inserted or positioned in the mail box.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic mail box signal which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the signal of the present invention mounted on a mail box, and with the signal in lowered position and with the door closed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the door in open position and with the signal in lowered position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 but showing the door closed and the signal raised.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the bar and pin.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the spring member for guiding the bar.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a mail box which includes the usual housing 11, and the housing 11 is provided with side walls 12. A

door 13 is hingedly or pivotally connected to the housing 11 by means of a hinge 14.

The present invention is directed to an automatic signal whereby a person at a remote location can readily observe whether or not mail has been placed in the mail box by a mail man or the like. The signal of the present invention includes an arm which carries a signal side Wall 12 of the housing 11. A pair of spaced apart 2 mounted for movement into and out of engagement with' the pair of cutouts 21 and 22 in the body member 20.

Arranged within the housing 11 is a spring member which is indicated generally by the. numeral 31, Figure 6,

and the spring member 31 includes a coil portion 32 which is secured to the inner surface of the side wall 12 in any suitable manner, as for example by welding. The coil portion 32 terminates in a pair of spaced apart portions 33, and secured to each portion 33 or formed integral therewith is a lug 34, the lugs 34 being arranged in engagement with the bar 26, and the spring member 31 serves to guide the bar 26 as the door 13 is moved.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided an automatic mail box signal which will permit a person to readily observe whether or not mail is in a mail box such as the mail box 10. As shown in Figure 1, the door 13 is in closed position and the arm 15 and signal 16 are in lowered position. Then, when a mail man or other person places mail or the like in the housing 11, the door 13 is moved from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position 'shown in Figure 2. As the door 13 is swung open, the bar 26 will be moved from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2, and since the spring member 31 is weak, the

pin 30 will be able to ride over the cam surface 23 adjacent the cutout 21 so that the parts can move to the position shown in Figure 2. The weight of the flag 16 and the friction in the pivot connection prevent the rotation of the member so that the parts can move to the position shown in Fig. 2, as previously described. After mail has been positioned in the mail box, the door 13 is closed sov that the parts move from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 and it will be seen that with the parts in the position of Figure 3 the arm 15 and signal 16 are in raised or elevated position so that a person at a remote location can readily observe whether or not mail has been placed in the mail box so that the person can tell whether or not to go to the mail box and remove the mail therefrom. This raising of the signal or flag 16 is brought about when the door 13 is closed from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 due to the fact that the pin 30 is guided into the cutout 22 by the spring member 31, and as the pin 30 moves into the cutout 22, the pin 30 will engage the cam surface 23 and shoulder adjacent the cutout 22 to thereby rotate the body member 20. Since the body member 20 and arm 15 are both rigidly secured to the shaft 17, it will be seen that stop members 18 and 19 are secured to the outersurface V of the side wall 12 or formed integral therewith for limiting swinging movement of the arm 15.

Positioned in the housing 11 and rigidly connected to the inner end of the shaft 17 is a body member which is indicated generally by the numeral 20, Figure 3. The body member 20 is provided with a pair of spaced apart cutouts or recesses 21 and 22 which define therebetween a finger 24 that is provided with inclined cam surfaces 23, and the cutouts 21 and 22 further define in the body member 20, shoulders 25.

The numeral 26 indicates a bar which is pivotally con-' nected to a bearing 27 by means of a pivot pin 28, and the bearing 27 is secured to the door 13 by means of securing elements 29. Carried by the bar 26 is a pin 30 which is this rotation of the body member 20 will result in similar rotation of the arm 15 and flag 16. When the door'13 is opened to remove the mail, the pin 30 will move out of the cutout 22 and the weak spring 31 will permit the bar 26 to move without causing rotation of the body member 20. However, after the mail has been removed from the mail box and'when the door 13 is closed, the spring member 31 will again guide the pin 30 into the cutout 21 and not the cutout '22 and this will cause the I arm 15 and flag 16 to be lowered from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 1, so as to indicate that the mail box is empty.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided an automatic mail box signal which is constructed so that the signal is not actuated when .the door 13 is opened. However, the signal is actuated when the door is closed. That is, when the door is closed, the flag 16 is automatically moved and in one instance the flag is moved to raised or elevated position when the door is closed, and in the other instance the flag is moved to lowered position when the door is closed.

The spring member 31 has its coil portion 32 secured to the side wall 12 in any suitable manner, as for ex ample, by welding, and this spring member remains in contact with the push rod or bar 26 at all times and acts as a centering device. The body member 20 acts as a reversing cam.

The signal is constructed so that for each opening and closing cycle of the door, the signal will be moved 90 and locked in that position. The bar 26 is connected to the door of the mail box at a point where its stroke or length of travel will be equal to the motion required to rotate the body member 20 90 when the pin 30 engages the cutouts 21 or 22. Each time that the mail box door is opened, the pin 30 disengages from the cutout in the body member, and the bar 26 is centered by means of the spring 31 so as, to set up the parts for a reverse 90 turn of the signal shaft 17 when the door is closed.

The above, description of the invention is for illustrative purposes only and it is understood that modifications may be made, in the construction within the scope and spirit, of, the following claim.

I claim:

In combination, a mail box including a housing provided with a side wall, a door hingedly connected to said housing, a signal actuated by said door and said signal including a horizontally disposed shaft extending through said side wall, an arm arranged externally of said housing and having one end rigidly connected to said shaft at right angles thereto, a signal element mounted on the other end of said arm, a movable body member arranged in said housing and rigidly connected to the inner end of said shaft at right angles thereto, said body member being provided with a pair of spaced apart cutouts defining an intermediate finger and a pair of inclined cam surfaces and shoulders, a bar having one end pivotally connected to said door, a pin carried by the other end of said bar for alternate shifting movement into and out of engagement with the cam surfaces and cutouts in said body member, and resilient means mounted on said side wall and arranged in engagement with said bar to retain the bar adjacent said side wall to guide the movement of said bar so that said pin will move into and out of engagement with the cutouts in said body member, said resilient means comprising a spring member including an intermediate coil portion terminating in spaced apart side portions, the pin carried by said bar being alternately shifted from one cutout to the other by coaction of the spring member and intermediate finger in each cycle of operation of the door and lugs on said side portions for engagement with said bar.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,742,128 Bond Dec. 31, 1929 1,929,965 Black Oct. 10, 1933 2,356,020 Westerfield Aug. 15, 1944 2,687,846 Chrisman Aug. 31, 1954 2,698,712 Kreitlow Ian. 4, 1955 

